Whaddya Say?

As I've mentioned before (probably enough times to be irritating), I have an education and professional background in history and anthropology. When I finally started college at the ripe o.ld age of 31, I'd had an entirely different- and far more practical- academic track in mind. But after a few intro classes, I fell in love with those disciplines and committed to them for the long haul.

Anthropology was really a passion; it was what I ended up pursuing in grad school. It's a tough track, though, as it takes a wide, holistic approach to the study of humanity. It has four sub-disciplines, and even though everyone chooses o.ne sub-discipline as a specialty, they also need to be familiar with and trained in the others, as well.

Those sub-disciplines are physical anthro (think of the show, "Bones"), cultural anthro, linguistics, and archaeology. I ended up specializing in the latter, as it meshed well with my secondary passion, history. I was sorely tempted for a few y.ears to go the linguistics route, however, and opted out of doing so because I thought there would be more work in archaeology than linguistics.

Boy, was I wrong! Not that there's a great many available jobs in linguistics, mind you. But in the dozen y.ears since I got out of grad school, there have been some interesting- and really quite major- changes in language use, primarily due to new technologies and a growth in written communication that has no parallel in history. Where written correspondence has traditionally been the way that people at distances kept in touch with each other, we now write to the folks in our everyday lives via texting, chatting, and e.mail. For some (maybe even many), it is the preferred way to stay in touch with even the closest people in their lives.

This huge increase in the use of the written word through technology has been causing a change in language and the way that it is used. If you do any texting or chatting, you know what I mean. Most of the changes center on increasing efficiency, with probably the biggest being the abbreviation of words- even words that were already short to begin with. Like using "u" instead of "you," or "r" instead of "are," and running multiple words together, such as "wanna," instead of "want to" and "whaddya," instead of "what do you."

There has also been a growth of acronym use; where it used to be reserved for official titles and organizations ("NASA," "OPEC"), there are now common acronyms for common things, like your "BAE" and your belief that "YOLO." Certain words and symbols have been re-purposed for new meanings ("@," "#"), and certain ways of expressing things that used to be cringe-worthy are now mostly accepted without complaint, such as saying "should of," instead of "should've or "should have."

It would be interesting to approach these changes from an academic standpoint, I think. Irritating as hell, granted... but interesting. And if I could go back and swerve into a different lane during my career as a student, I probably would choose to go the linguistic route instead of the archaeological o.ne.

Done is done, of course, but I still have a lot of fun exploring language and its use in and relation to culture. One thing that I've long been fascinated with is the variations in language due to geographical area. In a country as large and widely spaced as the U.S.A., it is only natural that regional dialects emerged somewhere along the line, different ways of speaking the same language.

We mostly notice different dialects through what we call an "accent," that weird mix of a "different" (or it seems to the o.ne hearing an accent in another) tone and pronunciation, emphasis and pace. But we also see evidence of regional dialects in word usage, in what people call things.

I think o.ne of the most recognizable examples is in what o.ne person calls a group of other people: "you all," "y'all," "yous," and "yous guys" being the most popular o.nes, though I know people in western PA use "yins.," i.e. "Are yins going to the cookout on Saturday?"

Or what a sandwich on a long, oblong roll is called: a "sub" or "submarine," a "hoagie," a "hero," a "po-boy," or a "grinder."

Or the long piece of furniture in a living room: "couch" or "sofa."

Or the thing that you rest your feet on: "ottoman" or "hassock."

Or what you put your folded clothes into: a "dresser" or a "bureau."

And, of course, there are certain sayings in different areas, things that are commonly said and have meaning, even though they probably wouldn't make sense a few hundred miles down the road. Like, around here, when traffic is heavy, people tend to say "The ferry must have just let out." Or when they've had enough to eat, they push away their plate and say, "I've come ashore." Given our location, it's not really surprising that those sayings are nods to the water.

So, I a.m wondering about y'all, sexy friends, and what people say 'round your parts... not just these examples, but any others that I didn't mention.

Of course, if you're anywhere in the U.S., o.ne thing is the same for all of us: tomorrow is Friday! And around here, especially in the beach towns, we call Thursdays "little Friday," to indicate that we're gearing up for the weekend.

Here in Michigan we only have a few dialects, for instance we use pop instead of soda. Some people from the upper peninsula have distinct Finnish accents (a lot of Finnish people went up there to mine copper). In the northern lower peninsula they sell a lot of fudge to tourists so they tend to call the tourists fudgies. Those of us in the lower peninsula call the people from the upper peninsula yupenites. The people in the upper peninsula call the people from the lower peninsula trolls (a reference to the Mackinaw bridge that links the two peninsulas, we live under (south of) the bridge so we are trolls) Other than that it's pretty much straight english. There is probably more that we don't even notice but that is all that comes to mind.

That does remind me of the first time I was in Texas in a restaurant the waitress asked me the infamous "Would you like a coke?" I replied "Sure" then she looks at me and says "What kind? We've got Coke, Sprite, Dr. Pepper,and Mug root beer."

I've also noticed a high rate of use on the phrase "I know, right?" Usually coming from Pennsylvania / New Jersey area. I really want to say "Nope I don't" to that but that's me. The Mexico / U.S. border region getting on a car is a bit more prevalent that getting in one. Smokers will get a "When you turn that off" instead of "When you put that out." For some reason here in Arizona you get called Boss a lot no matter who you are.

Quoting Tucsonfun4us2:That does remind me of the first time I was in Texas in a restaurant the waitress asked me the infamous "Would you like a coke?" I replied "Sure" then she looks at me and says "What kind? We've got Coke, Sprite, Dr. Pepper,and Mug root beer."

I've also noticed a high rate of use on the phrase "I know, right?" Usually coming from Pennsylvania / New Jersey area. I really want to say "Nope I don't" to that but that's me. The Mexico / U.S. border region getting on a car is a bit more prevalent that getting in one. Smokers will get a "When you turn that off" instead of "When you put that out." For some reason here in Arizona you get called Boss a lot no matter who you are.

That's fascinating- thanks so much for sharing! The smoking thing actually reminded me of something that some of my New England friends have said... when you're standing around waiting to do or get something, they say standing "on line" instead of what we say around here: standing "in line."

I'm from central Indiana, but the majority of my family is from the deep South so.... I say yall, Over yonder, we go fishin in the tank. I also like my trucks jacked up and my women tan with that sweet southern drawl....

Quoting Chuckk48:Here in Michigan we only have a few dialects, for instance we use pop instead of soda. Some people from the upper peninsula have distinct Finnish accents (a lot of Finnish people went up there to mine copper). In the northern lower peninsula they sell a lot of fudge to tourists so they tend to call the tourists fudgies. Those of us in the lower peninsula call the people from the upper peninsula yupenites. The people in the upper peninsula call the people from the lower peninsula trolls (a reference to the Mackinaw bridge that links the two peninsulas, we live under (south of) the bridge so we are trolls) Other than that it's pretty much straight english. There is probably more that we don't even notice but that is all that comes to mind.

That's really wild, about the Finnish accents! We actually have an island in the Chesapeake here where they still speak in the Old English fashion- I'll see if I can find a link to share it withe everyone, it's so intriguing.

I actually HAVE heard about the upper/lower peninsula dynamic there, but have never talked to anyone from there and gotten specifics. Fudgies is a great term for tourists. Around here, a lot of tourists are from PA, and many of us call them "Pennsyltuckians" because they seem like northern rednecks. The only time I've heard that in wide use was on the show, Orange is the New Black- there's a character with that nickname (well, Pennsyltucky).

Quoting BigCountry4640:I'm from central Indiana, but the majority of my family is from the deep South so.... I say yall, Over yonder, we go fishin in the tank. I also like my trucks jacked up and my women tan with that sweet southern drawl....

BTW ( haahaahaa) love the post and would love to hear more from ya...

Yeah, a way of talking can follow you, even when you move out of a region. You're a slice of the south out yonder west.

One problem is yournger ones not using proper English (reallyit is American according to some linguists) when applying for a job or writing papers for assignments. The use the abbreviations they use socially.

Quoting agedfun1:One problem is yournger ones not using proper English (reallyit is American according to some linguists) when applying for a job or writing papers for assignments. The use the abbreviations they use socially.

Yes. Even a decade ago, when I was teaching college, students would try to fly it in academic papers, which was a no-no. And professionally, using it in business writing is also terrible. There's a lesson in it- that old "right-time/right-place" lesson... though things have become so much more casual in seemingly all ways, I'm afraid it's a hard point to drive home.

I've bought fried pies instead of turnovers. If you want to really get into some interesting conversations, just talk to a true Cajun, Itll make ya scratch you head, I garontee. Around here everyone seen something they saw. I use to drive a truck and have heard so many different versions of the English language and trucker language is a whole different dialect. Ima gonna have me some of them cackle berry and groundhog for breakfast. (eggs and sausage) just incase you were wondering.

I grew up in SE VA, where they spoke a dialect of Olde English, modified by modernism however, and when I moved to northern MINN at the ripe age of 13, OMG, did I get teased, as my language was a mishmash of SE VA, along with OK, Te as, as well as quickly learned Minn . Everyone knew I wasnt from Minn, but they sure as hell DIDNT know where I WAS from !!!! SOme of that is gone now, some is still with me, and some I deliberatly kept on purpose. A carbonated beverage is usually POP, tho I do use SODA at times, I had subs while in Minn, po-boys while in NOLA, not sure which I liked better, tho they are NOT the same. As to Cajun, yeah, it can make your head spin, but in LA there is also french (as opposed to French), various forms of English, and then, yep a real thing, there is Coon Ass, which ia variant of English spoken by born in LA speakers! And you hear various dialects of the Caribean as well. It was an interesting 10 years there indeed.

There was a wonderful website some time ago that quizzed you on what words you used for things ( the hero, sub,or grinder and the pop or soda things you mentioned; or whether you say on or in line). It told you, once you plugged in your selections, what your dialect/accent was and where it’s prevalent . The college that was running it took it down a while back, but it always fascinated me. I love linguistics. I lived in Jamaica for a while and seeing (well, hearing) how “Patwa” (patois] was evolving from a dialect to a language was incredibly interesting. I was particularly intrigued by how the grammar was developing — plurals were made by adding “dem” (them) to a singular noun. De bwoy is the boy. De bwoy dem is the boys. Kinda cool. I had to learn Polish once - essentially from scratch, and one of my teachers had the theory that all languages were essentially the same: the key is recognizing how “it’s the same word” no matter how it looks. Not sure I buy that, but it is fun to recognize the root word in different languages, especially related ones. I know, NERD. But, again, it IS pretty cool.

I'm from MA and the accent here is pretty well known (though often over-done in films. Seems like every male actor has to take a shot at the Boston accent). But even within the Boston area it varies in subtle ways. We have a ton of local expressions and phrases--a drinking fountain is a bubbler (pronounced bubblah). Your turn indicator is a blinkah. Something that is exceptional is "wicked"...wicked big, wicked good, wicked loud.

I say coke, sub, couch, coffee table. An ottoman is for living room sex, not feet. One thing we say that has earned some odd looks is "fixin". Like, I'm fixin to go to the store. Since it's been pointed out to me, I admit, it is a little weird, but I've always said that.

Quoting oldbstrd55:I've bought fried pies instead of turnovers. If you want to really get into some interesting conversations, just talk to a true Cajun, Itll make ya scratch you head, I garontee. Around here everyone seen something they saw. I use to drive a truck and have heard so many different versions of the English language and trucker language is a whole different dialect. Ima gonna have me some of them cackle berry and groundhog for breakfast. (eggs and sausage) just incase you were wondering.

Oh, I have spoken to a Cajun before, me. LOL That's one thing I love, that ending of "me," just in case the subject might have been forgotten!

The "seen" thing happens here, too. And another around here is that people aren't "from," "at," or "in" somewhere, they're "to" it, i.e. "I live to Willards," or "I sat to the table until everyone else finished eating."

I bet that truck-driving did give you a wide exposure to a lot of dialects, along with the one that emerged from that profession and lifestyle. Maybe you should write a book about it! Or an article, at least!

Quoting LakeRidgeBBWSeek:I grew up in SE VA, where they spoke a dialect of Olde English, modified by modernism however, and when I moved to northern MINN at the ripe age of 13, OMG, did I get teased, as my language was a mishmash of SE VA, along with OK, Te as, as well as quickly learned Minn . Everyone knew I wasnt from Minn, but they sure as hell DIDNT know where I WAS from !!!! SOme of that is gone now, some is still with me, and some I deliberatly kept on purpose. A carbonated beverage is usually POP, tho I do use SODA at times, I had subs while in Minn, po-boys while in NOLA, not sure which I liked better, tho they are NOT the same. As to Cajun, yeah, it can make your head spin, but in LA there is also french (as opposed to French), various forms of English, and then, yep a real thing, there is Coon Ass, which ia variant of English spoken by born in LA speakers! And you hear various dialects of the Caribean as well. It was an interesting 10 years there indeed.

Ohhhh... I know all about being teased when moving to an area with a different dialect! I was in the 13/14 year-old range when I moved from NJ to Philly, and you wouldn't think there would have been much of a difference, but there sure was! I was teased mercilessly by the Philly folks for having too much "oooo" in words like "spoon" and "moon," as they embraced a more clipped "uhn" sort of pronunciation. Same with long Es, what I called the "Eeeagles," they more said "Ehhgles."

Really fascinating that there can be variations even in such a close geographic proximity!

Quoting Mfdmen:There was a wonderful website some time ago that quizzed you on what words you used for things ( the hero, sub,or grinder and the pop or soda things you mentioned; or whether you say on or in line). It told you, once you plugged in your selections, what your dialect/accent was and where it’s prevalent . The college that was running it took it down a while back, but it always fascinated me. I love linguistics. I lived in Jamaica for a while and seeing (well, hearing) how “Patwa” (patois] was evolving from a dialect to a language was incredibly interesting. I was particularly intrigued by how the grammar was developing — plurals were made by adding “dem” (them) to a singular noun. De bwoy is the boy. De bwoy dem is the boys. Kinda cool. I had to learn Polish once - essentially from scratch, and one of my teachers had the theory that all languages were essentially the same: the key is recognizing how “it’s the same word” no matter how it looks. Not sure I buy that, but it is fun to recognize the root word in different languages, especially related ones. I know, NERD. But, again, it IS pretty cool.

That IS pretty cool- and I appreciate you sharing!

I remember that website- or one like it... but it wasn't entirely accurate for me (not as much as filmillion.com - something worth checking out!).

I agree with your teacher that all languages are fundamentally the same- they all involve words that are basically arbitrary symbols for things, strung together within a framework of grammatical rules in order to be accurate and meaningful- though I am with you in not buying his/her overly simplistic formula for it. Languages are intensely complicated, and many of the rules associated with them are difficult to teach and/or to learn outside of the context of early-life enculturation.

Have you ever read anything by Steven Pinker (The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works)? He's one of my intellectual idols, and he has the same sort of gift as folks like Greene and Degrasse Tyson in making really sophisticated ideas accessible to everyone. VERY much recommend his works, if you're not already familiar with them.

Quoting storkjwr18:Having lived and grown up in the mid-west my whole live I could not really begin to tell you difference other than the ones you mentioned. Although the Pop/soda debate is huge in my house.

I will say I like to travel, and on many occasions I have been asked if I am from Ohio because of my "accent"

I am not sure that I know what an Ohio accent sounds like? Can you describe it, or point us to something/someone who typifies it??? And who wins the pop/soda debate??

Quoting isitbreaktime2:I'm from MA and the accent here is pretty well known (though often over-done in films. Seems like every male actor has to take a shot at the Boston accent). But even within the Boston area it varies in subtle ways. We have a ton of local expressions and phrases--a drinking fountain is a bubbler (pronounced bubblah). Your turn indicator is a blinkah. Something that is exceptional is "wicked"...wicked big, wicked good, wicked loud.

Bubbler??? That's wild! Or should I say wicked??

I don't have a great deal of experience upon which to draw, but I can say that your accent- and others I've spoken to from your area- is FAR less pronounced that it is always made out to be in movies and other pop culture fare. It's distinctive, but subtle. And very charming. At least to the ears of a south-of-the-Mason-Dixon-line gal like me.

I say "blinkers," too... and I say that word a lot more often that people actually use them!!

Quoting mc_justmc:I say coke, sub, couch, coffee table. An ottoman is for living room sex, not feet. One thing we say that has earned some odd looks is "fixin". Like, I'm fixin to go to the store. Since it's been pointed out to me, I admit, it is a little weird, but I've always said that.

LOL Yeah, this is a "fixin" area, too... or even more, a "fixinto" area... because there's just always a "to" attached to it. We "reckon" fairly often, as well. Thanks!!

The one thing I have noticed with myself over the years is that when moving, in my case transferring to a new area, I tend to pick up the areas primary dialect and sometimes s slight accent. For example: when I was stationed in Hawaii for many years during my military service, I picked up a little bit of pidgin (Hawaiian accent/slang) so I can blend in with the civilian population when it came to the Kama'aina (local) discount. It especially became useful whenever I visited da' udder islands caus' its Da Kine." (the other Hawaiian islands outside of O'ahu).

Now that I live in California, I lost the pidgin and adopted the dialect that is prevalent to this area. When you hear a dialect all the time, a person subconsciously picks that dialect up, even if it is just slightly. You don't realize that you picked up the dialect up until you visit some family, possibly friends, then they let you know that you are talkin' funny.

In the photo that you have posted, I can hear the theme from the Beverly Hillbillies playing.

Thanks for posting this linguistics observation. I really liked this post...

Living in Texas for the past few years, has changed the words that I use and the pace uttered from my lips during conversation.

Down here in God's country, there are so many influences that it is hard to keep track...

For instance, people in East Texas have a twangy drawl... of course the pattern of speech is slower in the south than in the north, especially, the northeast. And, as you go deeper into the south of Texas, the hispanic influence becomes stronger...

But, then, all you have to do is venture into Louisiana, and you get a whole different set of language variations... Drop into Baton Rouge, LA sometime and try to carry on a conversation... you would think you were in a foreign country... maybe a region of France...

And, it's not just the language, there appear to be vast differences in food selection... but, that's another post...

made me think of this one...

some times the right six words pack a lot of meaning...

Bronze Whale - "Say It" (Baile Remix)

"say you never let me gosay you never le me gosay you never let me gosay you never let me gosay you never let me gosay you never let me gosay you never let me gosay you never let me go..."

Quoting 1SexyGoodguy:The one thing I have noticed with myself over the years is that when moving, in my case transferring to a new area, I tend to pick up the areas primary dialect and sometimes s slight accent. For example: when I was stationed in Hawaii for many years during my military service, I picked up a little bit of pidgin (Hawaiian accent/slang) so I can blend in with the civilian population when it came to the Kama'aina (local) discount. It especially became useful whenever I visited da' udder islands caus' its Da Kine." (the other Hawaiian islands outside of O'ahu).

Now that I live in California, I lost the pidgin and adopted the dialect that is prevalent to this area. When you hear a dialect all the time, a person subconsciously picks that dialect up, even if it is just slightly. You don't realize that you picked up the dialect up until you visit some family, possibly friends, then they let you know that you are talkin' funny.

In the photo that you have posted, I can hear the theme from the Beverly Hillbillies playing.

I think it's natural to pick up the dialect of the area you're living in, even if it's not your native area. It's actually not (according to anthropology, anyway) unusual to match your manner of speaking to whoever you're speaking with- it's called "code switching"... a somewhat subconscious effort to better communicate with people. I don't think it stands out very much most times, as most dialects are pretty close to one another, but in a case like you mentioned, the Hawaiian pidgin- or the LA Creole- it's quite a bit more pronounced, almost like taking on another language. Altogether, it really is a testimony of the flexibility that we have in terms of language and communication- us humans are adaptable!

Thanks for posting this linguistics observation. I really liked this post...

Living in Texas for the past few years, has changed the words that I use and the pace uttered from my lips during conversation.

Down here in God's country, there are so many influences that it is hard to keep track...

For instance, people in East Texas have a twangy drawl... of course the pattern of speech is slower in the south than in the north, especially, the northeast. And, as you go deeper into the south of Texas, the hispanic influence becomes stronger...

But, then, all you have to do is venture into Louisiana, and you get a whole different set of language variations... Drop into Baton Rouge, LA sometime and try to carry on a conversation... you would think you were in a foreign country... maybe a region of France...

And, it's not just the language, there appear to be vast differences in food selection... but, that's another post...

made me think of this one...

some times the right six words pack a lot of meaning...

Bronze Whale - "Say It" (Baile Remix)

"say you never let me gosay you never le me gosay you never let me gosay you never let me gosay you never let me gosay you never let me gosay you never let me gosay you never let me go..."

There does seem to be a great deal of variation and texture in language in the deep south, something that I think surprises some people, who often think that there's a monolithic culture and dialect in the area. There's a lot going on in that area in terms of heritage and contemporary influences, however, and those sorts of things always seem to find expression in the way people express themselves.

I appreciate your details about some of those expressions... and your musical contribution, of course. thank you!

Quoting GratefulGirl69:I am not sure that I know what an Ohio accent sounds like? Can you describe it, or point us to something/someone who typifies it??? And who wins the pop/soda debate??

I appreciate your participation- thank you!

Oh there is no winning the debate. My boys say Soda because their mom does. Although it's funny if we go to a restaurant, Jacob will ask of they have soda. The waitresses have asked if he really wanted soda water. Being 11 he just stares not knowing what to say.

As for an Ohio accent (or more to say one from North East Ohio) I guess maybe Drew Carey, Steve Harvey, Halle Berry, or Monica Potter. They are all from this area. Michael Stanley as well. Not sure. I dont really notice or hear it spending all but 10-11 years of my life here.

Interesting post. I have a switch... I flip it on or off whenever I feel like it. I adapt to my target audience. Over here - that can vary. ₴ Most importantly, I'm most interested in making sure my message is clear. I sculpt every sentence with the appropriate aplomb and effort, that each one deserves. I don't use five cyclable words in this space - it's a waste of time. In fact - I barely know any 5 cyclable words... Do you? Hey... It's all good. Drop by my 'beige room', with a friend and enjoy the wine. I'll be there, at some point. The key is under the mat. Later...

Words are like meat loaf- they can be sculpted into any shape you choose.

Quoting Paulxx001:Interesting post. I have a switch... I flip it on or off whenever I feel like it. I adapt to my target audience. Over here - that can vary. ₴ Most importantly, I'm most interested in making sure my message is clear. I sculpt every sentence with the appropriate aplomb and effort, that each one deserves. I don't use five cyclable words in this space - it's a waste of time. In fact - I barely know any 5 cyclable words... Do you? Hey... It's all good. Drop by my 'beige room', with a friend and enjoy the wine. I'll be there, at some point. The key is under the mat. Later...

Thanks for commenting! Your approach is certainly admirable- I think most of us tend to submerge ourselves into the experience of communicating with one another, giving what seems appropriate for the vibe and tone, in order to really connect with each other, rather than calculating the best way to grammatically express something... or counting the syllables in a word.

Quoting storkjwr18:Oh there is no winning the debate. My boys say Soda because their mom does. Although it's funny if we go to a restaurant, Jacob will ask of they have soda. The waitresses have asked if he really wanted soda water. Being 11 he just stares not knowing what to say.

As for an Ohio accent (or more to say one from North East Ohio) I guess maybe Drew Carey, Steve Harvey, Halle Berry, or Monica Potter. They are all from this area. Michael Stanley as well. Not sure. I dont really notice or hear it spending all but 10-11 years of my life here.

LOL I don't blame him- if someone asked me if I wanted soda water, I wouldn't know how to respond because I don't really know what that is! Is that, like, club soda??

I'll have to check out the people you mentioned to get a clue about the accent, though just off-hand, I don't think of any of them as having one! So maybe there are similarities between this area and yours... it wouldn't be unusual, as a lot of dialect tracking correlates to early immigration patterns- and this area was sort of like an Ellis Island of the south through the 17th and 18th centuries.

My Oh my you're interactive and quick... Hmmm... Lol... How's it going? I'll be better next time... I'd better leave while I still can . The Frozen Jello vodka slushies are kicking in... Less is more..

Words are like meat loaf- they can be sculpted into any shape you choose.

Quoting Paulxx001:My Oh my you're interactive and quick... Hmmm... Lol... How's it going? I'll be better next time... I'd better leave while I still can . The Frozen Jello vodka slushies are kicking in... Less is more..

Please stay as long as you'd like, honey... we're all friends around here, and the more, the merrier. I love a party! It just might be a good idea to be careful about boasting about writing skills while repeatedly using a glaringly misspelled word. It kind of takes away your thunder, you know? Though I guess we can always blame the slushies...

I'm totally with you on the way the language is "deteriorating" as the trend is to move to abbreviations and emojis amongst the younger generation - I also despair at some of the grammar I see on forums and even shop signs, but I guess this is the way the language is evolving.

We've many dialects, accents or regionalisations in the UK. And languages too - there's official recognition for Gaelic, Welsh and Cornish.

One thing I dislike is the dropping of some letters during pronunciation. For example the word drawer is in some accents said as draw. But the thing is, people are now writing that as they think that is how the word is spelt. "I keep my socks in a draw". No! You keep them in a drawer!!!!

I don't have a great deal of experience upon which to draw, but I can say that your accent- and others I've spoken to from your area- is FAR less pronounced that it is always made out to be in movies and other pop culture fare. It's distinctive, but subtle. And very charming. At least to the ears of a south-of-the-Mason-Dixon-line gal like me.

I've lived in other places and spoken other languages which helps neutralize my accent a little, plus I live just outside the bubble of the thickest accents. The closer to Boston you get, the heavier the accent. There are a bunch of actors from here so of course they nail it--Matt Damon, John Krasinski, Ben Affleck, the Wahlbergs, Seth Myers, for example. Seth Myers did a faux film trailer called Boston Accents that totally pokes fun at the whole phenomenon, including the guys who try but fail. Close but no cigar for me--Jack Nicholson and Leo DiCaprio in the Departed; John Goodman in Patriot's Day. Oddly enough, one of the best I ever heard was Christian Bale's in The Fighter! Guy from England sounding like a guy from Lowell fucking Mass, which is crazy!

Yeah.... I think I was trying to be sarcastic, or something. I shouldn't have used that third syllable.. Oh well. Don't post stuff when you're hammered - I guess... Thanks for the heads up... Thunder? You mean that song by Imagine Dragons?

Words are like meat loaf- they can be sculpted into any shape you choose.

The Cornish have many such words but one of the most wildly used words is; “Emmet”/. It's what us Cornish call tourists who flock here in the summer months. Literally it means ant, but it’s been adapted to describe holidaymakers because they only come in the summer and run away when it rains.

Quoting Paulxx001:Yeah.... I think I was trying to be sarcastic, or something. I shouldn't have used that third syllable.. Oh well. Don't post stuff when you're hammered - I guess... Thanks for the heads up... Thunder? You mean that song by Imagine Dragons?

As I said in the private message, I was a bit harsh, and I apologize. It felt like you were being a buzzkill at my fun party, which got my hackles up. But it's all good on my end, hope the same is true for you.

Though that reminded me of another south of the Mason-Dixon line thing:

Quoting Mfdmen:I'll check out that website and the Pinker books. Thank you. I enjoyed Stories of English - nothing heavy but an interesting compendium of how the world's englishes are developing and changing.

I think that I would like that, too. Most people don't think about it, but language is a living and constantly changing and evolving thing. I mean, there wasn't even any sort of uniformity in how words were spelled until the first standardized dictionary was created and came into popular use, something that is readily apparent when transcribing historical sources from the 17th and 18th centuries. And new words are constantly being added, just as other words fall out of use and/or alter in our understanding of their meanings. It's an intriguing and thought-provoking thing- and I think I'll look for that book, as i believe I'd enjoy it. Thanks for mentioning it!

Quoting MyBaffies:I'm totally with you on the way the language is "deteriorating" as the trend is to move to abbreviations and emojis amongst the younger generation - I also despair at some of the grammar I see on forums and even shop signs, but I guess this is the way the language is evolving.

We've many dialects, accents or regionalisations in the UK. And languages too - there's official recognition for Gaelic, Welsh and Cornish.

One thing I dislike is the dropping of some letters during pronunciation. For example the word drawer is in some accents said as draw. But the thing is, people are now writing that as they think that is how the word is spelt. "I keep my socks in a draw". No! You keep them in a drawer!!!!

*sigh*

I get very irritated by those things on a personal level, too. But on an academic level, I recognize that it's all part of the constantly evolving nature of language. It's a tool, and people use it in ways that are useful and effective for them, and often even change it to meet changing needs and wants. I'm actually hoping to write a post about this very thing soon, since I've been thinking as much about language as I have about the past lately... and hope to see you back again when I do. Thanks for coming by and commenting- I appreciate it!